Eating organic has always seemed important however why and how to do it has always been a little bit of a mystery! Knowing what produce is high in persistent organic pollutant’s (POPs) can help us understand how to avoid any unwanted health defects due to what foods we love to eat.

Pesticides, those invisible toxins we never see but always hear about, derived from agricultural farming and used to keep pests, diseases, and weeds away from produce. They’re great, right? Maybe ideal for farmers but not so peachy for us consumers, in-between the infamous ‘Dirty Dozen’ and the ‘Clean Fifteen, what we should and shouldn’t be eating can be quite confusing!

The ‘Dirty Dozen’- No Longer! Seven More Pesticide Infected Foods Revealed! What Are Pesticides?

What are the ‘Dirty Dozen’?

The ‘Dirty Dozen’ are a group of popular food products that have been researched to be high in POP’s. Warning- your heart may break a little after reading the list below (in order of highest amount of pesticides found to lowest).

Cucumber: Be aware that this list is extremely limited; many other common food products are heavily affected by pesticides, and they’re not all fresh produce. Schafer says that ‘Virtually all food products are contaminated with POPs that have been banned in the United States—baked goods, fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and dairy products…’ Thus our ‘Dirty Dozen’ is a far fetch from the real amount of food products containing pesticides; the list increases:

Butter contains six different POP’s.

Baby Food: Shop produced, pureed baby food is supposed to be low in pesticide, however, parents who make their own may not realized that the fruits and vegetables that they commonly use to make the food can be high in POPs. Pears, apples, and blueberries which are all common baby food ingredients all test highly in pesticides. By buying organic, you’ll be more guaranteed from keeping your child away from unwanted toxins in their food!

Meatloaf (prepared with typical conventional ingredients)contains five different POP’s.

Blueberries (noooo!): They are wonderfully high in antioxidants which are great for fighting off diseases however non-organic blueberries are usually sprayed with pesticides.

Leafy Greens

Canned Fruit and Fruit Squash: They can contain Carbendazim (a hormone-disrupting chemical as well as a possible human carcinogen)

Barley, maize, and wheat can also contain Carbendazim.

Please take note! The list of highly pesticide ridden food could go on much further. However, the ones shown above are certainly some of the most toxic.

What Are The ‘Clean 15’?

The ‘Clean Fifteen’ are a group of produce that are tested low in pesticides and therefore grabbing one off the shelf (organic or not) is okay!

By trying to consume less ‘Dirty Dozen’(plus) produce and more of the ‘Clean Fifteen’ products you’re guaranteed to cut down on pesticide intake, reducing the chances of side effects.

What Are The Side Effects of Consuming Pesticides?

There are many different downsides to consuming products that test high in pesticides.

Many different studies conclude that it is not unusual to find five or more pesticides per product is not uncommon and can cause health problems such as simple eye irritation and malaise to more serious problems including different types of cancer, neurological damage, sterility and immune system problems. With such serious side effects linked to the intake of pesticides, it is a serious concern for many people, but there are ways you can personally prevent a large intake of these toxins.

How to Prevent Pesticides From Affecting to You!

Many people believe that by washing or peeling your fruit or vegetables, it can help get rid of pesticides however it is not a truly effective way of eliminating the problem.

To make sure you aren’t buying and consuming foods high in pesticides- go organic! By purchasing organic produce you are guaranteed unwanted toxins will not affect the products, and you can eat as many apple pies as you want- guilt free!

Now we know that we don’t have to go completely organic to eat pesticide-free means it’s a lot less hassle hunting down our favorite fruit in organic form and much more wallet friendly!